Industrial minerals are geological materials which are mined for their commercial value, are not fuel (e.g., fuel minerals or mineral fuels), and are not used as sources of metals (e.g., metallic minerals or precious metals). They can be used in their natural state or after beneficiation either as raw materials or as additives in a wide range of applications, including, for example, construction, ceramics, paints, electronics, filtration, plastics, glass, and paper. Impurities in industrial minerals can lower their value. For example, some metal oxides can impart a tint or color to the industrial mineral that disqualifies it for commercial development. Metals and metal oxides are common contaminants of mineral ores. Although considerable progress has been made to increase the recovery of the industrial mineral at the expense of higher contaminant concentration, there has been no confirmed success at selective removal of contaminants such as metals and metal oxides from industrial minerals.